A pair of Artesia man were arrested over the weekend on multiple charges relating to DWI.

In the early morning hours of Saturday, July 7, an Artesia Police Department officer on patrol spotted a vehicle with malfunctioning brake lights in the area of 10th Street and Mahone Drive. After initiating a traffic stop, the officer noted an odor of alcohol emanating from the vehicle and noted its driver, identified as Robert Bueno, 34, of Artesia, to be slurring his speech.

According to the police report, Bueno admitted to having consumed alcohol earlier in the evening. A field sobriety test was conducted and failed.

The officer observed three children in the vehicle, all under the age of 12.

Bueno was subsequently placed under arrest on charges of DWI (first offense) and three counts of child abuse. He has been scheduled for a 9 a.m. Aug. 8 preliminary examination before Judge Daniel Reyes Jr. in Artesia Magistrate Court.

Around 2:45 a.m. Sunday, July 8, APD officers were dispatched to the 1500 block of Yucca Avenue in reference to a call of an individual attempting to open the screen door of a residence. Upon arrival, officers found a damaged street light and pole. No vehicle was nearby, but pieces of a blue vehicle were found in the roadway.

One of the officers had twice been called to the same block earlier that evening in reference to a domestic dispute. One of the individuals involved was noted to be intoxicated and was advised not to drive his vehicle – a blue Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Police noted the Jeep was no longer parked in the area.

When officers returned to the area just after 3 a.m., the Jeep had returned, and its owner, identified as Shaun Kimball, 39, of Artesia, was found standing alongside it. Upon examination, the Jeep was found to have been damaged, with pieces of wood still on its hood and stuck in its broken windshield.

According to the criminal complaint, Kimball eventually admitted to officers that he had struck the pole. After failing a field sobriety test, he was arrested and charged with careless driving, immediate notice of an accident, duty upon striking fixtures, and aggravated DUI. Xcel Energy estimated the cost of the damage to the power pole would be approximately $8,000.

Kimball has been scheduled for a 1 p.m. Aug. 29 pre-trial hearing before Reyes in Artesia Magistrate Court.